Today, the HR community is increasingly expected to operate in a global business environment. A series of Financial Post articles on outsourcing illustrate how interconnected business has become. I have included here a few noteworthy quotes from the articles published on April 25th and 26th.

•       “Your Lawyer’s Office – Thousands of Miles Away” – a headline on an article by Jim Middlemis.

•       In describing the response of a recent college graduate during a job interview in India, Karen Mazurkewich explains “she is eager to please and tells the three panelists that she would move anywhere in the world.”

•       S. Gopalakrishnan, chairman of Infosys says in an article by Mazurkewich that “Companies are more open because outsourcing is widely deployed and because they are facing the challenge of finding the right set of people to sustain growth.”

Undoubtedly, outsourcing is only part of the picture when it comes to employee mobility and global expansion; however, this subject certainly demonstrates the interrelated nature of business.

Members of HR.com, however, have global expertise available at their fingertips. I was again reminded of this point when I contacted the members of the HR.com performance management community recently. The members are located all around the globe. Thus, we have an excellent opportunity to share perspectives, challenges and knowledge with other HR professionals who have various levels of experience and understanding.

In the hopes of starting a valuable exchange of information, I encourage you to respond to one or more of the following questions:

-What aspect of performance management do you currently find most challenging?

-What approaches have you applied to this challenge that you would recommend to others?

-Is there a performance management issue that is specific to your location that may not be an issue in all countries?

-What one key question would you like to pose to other HR professionals who share an interest in performance management?

References:

Mazurkewich, Karen. “Outsourcing firms face competition for top talent.” National Post, April 25, 2008, p. 7.

Mazurkewich, Karen. “Outsourcing moves up to key services.” National Post, April 25, 2008, p. 1.

Middlemiss, Jim. “Law firms do the math.” National Post, April 26, 2008, p. 1.